Imelda Arismendez, 65, is arguably the matriarch of the group, which has seen about 300 women — largely low-income mothers — pass through the doors of its small, rental house at 1412 El Paso Street over the last two decades.

Arismendez, who was born and raised on the West Side and has seven kids and six grandkids, said that the program's artwork is all clay and all for sale. Pieces range from $5 miniature flying pigs to $300 “trees of life” that depict more intricate scenes, and most are done by mothers working with clay for the first time in their lives.

“Taking time out (for art) is totally out of the regular tradition for some of these mothers,” Arismendez said of her group, which usually is comprised of about 20 year-round participants anywhere from 18 to 80 years of age. “But working with clay, a lot of that is founded on tradition.”

Arismendez said that the clay isn't the only thing shaped by the artistic experience. She encourages mothers who come in to “become their own person” and “start to own that artistic part of themselves” that family, jobs, or other obligations might have crowded out.

“So many mothers spend … so much time with their kids,” she explained. “So when they come here, we ask them to put as much of themselves as possible into the clay, because they have a story to tell (individually) that is just as important as their (children's).”

Gracie Gonzalez, 56, is a mother of three who came to the program two years ago. Her family is from Oklahoma and has ancestry in the Quapaw tribe there — and the connection is most obvious in her work “La Familia,” a colorful plate showing an indigenous family huddled closely in the cold.

“My son comes back (to San Antonio) and he sees my art,” said Gonzales as she prepped a hummingbird-themed painting for a second time in the kiln to bring out a more vibrant series of colors. “My son is all, 'oh, it's beautiful!' and I don't believe that, but he means it.”

Teri Borrego, 59 has a daughter and two granddaughters. Her prized work, “Milagros,” is a take on the Catholic belief of healing by prayer.

“You leave a token in church that represents what you need help with - a foot if your foot is injured, an eye if your eye is hurt,” she explained, pointing out that “Milagros” tells the story of what she and her family have prayed for over the years. “We've had vision problems — there's the eye — and amputations — there's the foot — because of diabetes.”

Sonia Diaz, 23, came to San Antonio from El Salvador several years ago and joined the program a few months back. She has three kids. She said MujerArtes gives her a chance to explore her independence.

“Now, here, I'm happier with some time for myself,” Diaz explained, sculpting a representation of a pregnant mother dreaming of her future child. “My kids are having fun, too.”

Arismendez pointed out that Diaz occasionally brings her children into the studio to work with the clay.

“You always pass down what you know,” she said. “That's how (your culture) grows.”

Diaz agreed, pointing out that the artistic experience has helped her grow closer to her kids.

“This is something we can share,” she explained. “My kids are always asking, 'mama, when are you going to be famous?' when they see what we're doing here.”

The women's artwork for Mother's Day is on sale daily through Sunday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.